The talented running back was dealt to the New York Jets over the weekend, a move that will make him one of the top sleeper/breakout candidates in fantasy football. Buried on the depth chart over the last three years with the New Orleans Saints, Ivory showed flashes of brilliance when he did have a chance to tote the rock. He’s averaged better than five yards per carry in his career, and his body is fresh from the lack of attempts he’s received since 2011.

Ivory will fill the role of departed starter Shonn Greene, who finished among the top 20 running backs in the league based on fantasy points last season while averaging a less-than-impressive 3.9 yards per carry. To put it simply, Ivory is a better back than Greene with youth on his side (he’s 25). And now he’ll have a chance to see 275-300 carries for the first time as an NFL back. While he will lose some third-down work to Mike Goodson, Ivory will be about as close to a featured runner as you can have in a league that has installed more committees in recent seasons.

I wouldn’t hesitate to draft him in one of the first four- to five rounds as a No. 2 runner in 2013.

Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to @Michael_Fabiano or send a question via Facebook!

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